History of Logos

Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad.

The Apple logo is pretty simple, its an Apple that has had a bite taken from it. The original logo has the colors of the rainbow but over time the logo has become very simple and is a simple white (or grey) apple with a bite on a black background. The colorful logo was designed by Rob Janoff.

However, the logo does have some interesting stories (perhaps true, perhaps) that make it more intriguing. The three most popular beliefs are that it was inspired by Alan Turing, Issac Newton and the Bible.

One of the popular stories behind the logo is based on Alan Turing's death. Alan Turing, widely considered to be the father of computer science and the computer died from cyanide poisoning while he was in jail. In 1954, Turing's cleaner found him dead; he had died the previous day. A post-mortem examination established that the cause of death was cyanide poisoning. When his body was discovered an apple lay half-eaten beside his bed, and although the apple was not tested for cyanide, it is speculated that this was the means by which a fatal dose was delivered. The Apple logo also has bite and some believe that the Apple logo was a dedication to Alan Turing.

The other story relates to Issac Newton who was inspired to formulate his theory of gravitation by watching an apple falling from a tree. The Biblical reference is that the apple was the fruit from the tree of knowledge.

So which story is true? Based on an article at the Apple Museum, it would appear that the reference to the Bible has probably the most credence. The article states the following "The new logo had a simple shape of an Apple, bitten into, with the colors of the rainbow in the wrong order. The bite symbolized knowledge (in the bible the apple was the fruit of the tree of knowledge) and the bite could also be pronounced "byte", a reference to computer technology."

With the popularity of the Apple line of products, the Apple logo is ubiquitous.

The logo on this page is a registered trademark. Use of the logo here does not imply endorsement of the organization by this site.